Nippers Day Nursery Ltd

INSPECTION DETAILS

Inspection Date 06/01/2005 Inspector Name Lesley Ormrod

p.1

SETTING DETAILS

Day Care Type Full Day Care Setting Name Nippers Children's Day Nursery Setting Address 74 Lancaster Road Carnforth Lancashire LA5 9LE

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Name Nippers Day Nursery Ltd Address 74 Lancaster Road Carnforth Lancashire LA5 9LE

p.1

ORGANISATION DETAILS

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.1

ABOUT THE INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public that the nursery education for funded three and four year old children is of an acceptable quality. Inspection of nursery education also identifies strengths and weaknesses so that providers can improve the quality of educational provision and help children to achieve the early learning goals (elgs) by the end of the Foundation Stage. This inspection report must be made available to all parents. If the setting has been inspected previously, an action plan will have been drawn up to tackle issues identified. This inspection, therefore, must also assess what progress has been made in the implementation of this plan.

p.2

Information about the setting

Nippers Children's Day Nursery is one of three childcare facilities run by Suzanne Wilson. It opened in 1998 and operates from four rooms in a purpose-built building. The nursery is situated in Carnforth. A maximum of 35 children may attend the nursery at any one time. The setting is open each weekday from 07.30 to 18.00 for 51 weeks of the year. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 85 children aged from birth to under 8 years on roll. Of these 42 children receive funding for nursery education. Children come from Carnforth and surrounding areas. The setting currently supports a number of children with special educational needs. The nursery employs nine staff. Eight of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. One member of staff is working towards a qualification.

p.2

Information about the setting

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.2

How effective is the nursery education?

Nippers Children's Day Nursery provides good quality education overall which enables children to make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. Provision for their personal, social and emotional development is a strength and children make very good progress in this area. Creative development, knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development are well planned. Children make very good progress in these areas. The quality of teaching is generally good. The staff manage the children well and have good relationships with them. They plan a good range of interesting and stimulating activities with effective use of resources that stimulates children's imaginative play and learning. The staff understand what children need to learn in most areas of learning but do not always extend to provide sufficient challenge in aspects of communication, language and literacy and mathematics. Staff fully

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

include children with special needs in the range of nursery activities. There is a strong sense of community within the setting. Staff assess children's learning against the stepping stones and early learning goals. Observations and assessments are completed regularly and the information used to plan what children should do next. Staff keep detailed records that provide good information about children's progress to share with parents. The leadership and management of the nursery are generally good. The provider has a clear vision for the nursery and works collaboratively with the experienced and committed staff team to achieve the stated aims and objectives. Staff are well qualified, participate in an appraisal scheme and take up regular training opportunities. A system to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching is not fully established. The partnership with parents is very good. Parents are given good information about

p.3

How effective is the nursery education?

the setting and attend regular parents' meetings. The key-worker system is effective and parents have time to discuss.

p.3

What is being done well?

• Staff use good strategies to promote children's good behaviour and their understanding of right and wrong. Children are listened to by staff, supported to resolve any disputes by making friends again and encouraged to develop good care and concern for each other. • There is a good range of stimulating activities to develop children's learning in the area of knowledge and understanding of the world. Children meet the health visitor and learn how to care for a baby. They enjoy finding out about about other cultures and celebrations such as Divali and Ramadan.

p.3

What is being done well?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 • Children are making good progress in their self care and independence skills. They put on their coats and hats with older children managing zips when it is time for outside play. In free play children independently select their percussion instruments and decide what sounds they want to make together in their group. • Children have good opportunities for well-planned role play that encourages their imaginative skills' development very well. They decide how to style their 'clients' hair and offer choices of hair gels in the hair salon. They travel to other countries and play in a pyramid they have constructed.

p.3

What needs to be improved?

• the arrangements for children to freely choose books to read and to extend their language and thinking, recall and prediction skills • the attention given to developing children's skills in calculating and extended opportunities to count in daily routines and activities • the systems for planning to include extension activities; scheduled observations; regular information from parents and the opportunities for children's learning at snack times.

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

Very good progress has been made since the last inspection. The provider with the staff team have introduced effective measures to develop children's climbing skills; develop children's understanding of being active and healthy and develop their problem solving skills in daily activities. A major factor in the improvement in children's climbing skills has been the provider's investment in a range of indoor and outdoor apparatus in conjunction with the staff's development of the taught programme of physical activities. Children now climb up and over, under and through confidently. The staff have developed children's understanding of being active and healthy by providing regular daily opportunities in activities to discuss the effects of exercise, what are healthy food and drinks to eat with the children. Children now confidently talk about how they feel after outdoor play or active movement sessions. They can

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

decide which foods are good for them. The staff have extended the opportunities for children to practice their problem solving skills in daily routines by identifying times during the day that can be used as a focus for these skills. Children can now negotiate with each other to achieve the maximum number of children in each area at a time and solve situations at snack times as to how many cups are left if so many are taken away.

p.4

What has improved since the last inspection?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.4

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children are confident and readily make their choices of free play activities. They develop good self esteem supported through their good relationships with staff. Children persist with tasks such as sticking on tissue paper to make a shapes' pattern or writing out their shopping lists. They are developing good self care skills and know when they need to wash their hands. Children behave well and are taught to show concern for each other. They have a clear sense of belonging to a community.

p.5

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Judgement: Generally Good Children are confident speakers and are keen to communicate their ideas to each other in free play. In circle times staff do not fully extend their language and thinking skills Children use good phonics' skills and can sound out their names. They listen intently to stories but do not choose books freely. Children recognise their printed names when self registering. They write their names with some recognisable letters and use resources to write out appointments in role play.

p.5

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Generally Good Children count confidently to ten with staff when counting out toy animals but do not always count with staff in daily routines. They recognise numerals to five and write recognisable numbers in their play. Children can compare number groups but staff do not plan sufficiently to extend their calculating skills. They can confidently name basic shapes and create shape patterns in collages. Children learn about measurement and discuss short and long hair in their role play as hairdressers.

p.5

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Judgement: Very Good Children have exciting opportunities to investigate and explore using their senses. They look at the texture of hair in their role play as hairdressers and decide how to mix gels. Children learn about living things, their bodies and the care that babies need. They know the days of the week and talk about past events. Children describe schools and shops near to them and the people they meet. Staff plan stimulating activities about other cultures and children explore light during Divali.

p.5

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.5

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children enjoy active music and movement sessions and well-planned physical skills activities. They complete obstacle courses and confidently follow directions to run, stop, move sideways and backwards. Children have good spatial awareness and find their space to use their sit-and-ride toys. They understand that exercise is healthy and talk about warm hands and their heart sounds. Children are confident in the use of tools such scissors and mark makers and quickly develop one-handed use.

p.6

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Judgement: Very Good Children explore textures freely and create collage designs with their choices of tissue paper and shapes. They know their colour names and talk about how they will mix colours to get dark green or blue as they paint. Children have good role play set up and run their hair salon well, booking in and charging for the cuts and styles. They are confident singers and put together their own tunes and rhythms using instruments. Children describe what the jungle animals might do using a safari mat.

p.6

Children's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is fostered

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.6

OUTCOME OF THE INSPECTION

The provision is acceptable and is of good quality overall. Children are making generally good progress towards the early learning goals. The next inspection will take place in three to four years time.

p.7

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

• increase the range of teaching strategies to develop the challenges for three and four year-olds to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding and extend their learning by: reviewing the opportunities for children's learning at snack times; the arrangements for children to freely choose books to read and extend their recall and prediction skills; the opportunities for children to count in daily routines and activities and their learning of calculating skills; extending children's language and thinking skills • develop the planning systems to include: learning intentions; extension activities for more able children; information from parents about their children's progress on a regular basis; opportunities for regular observations of children's learning.

p.7

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

The provider must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues detailed above will be addressed. The action plan must be made available to all parents and to the Local Authority if required. An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next inspection of funded nursery education.

p.7

WHAT THE SETTING NEEDS TO DO NEXT: THE KEY ISSUES

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Section 122 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998

p.7